Check-holder



J. T. OHVE.

CHECK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.26. 1920.

1,341,720. Patented June 1, 1920.

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CHECK-HOLDER.

Applicatiim filed January 26; i920.- Serial No. 354.082.

mine cars'for hol'ding T and depositinga check identifying the load of 'coal or ore carried up from "a mine to'a tipple to'be dumped, as usual, the d'vioe'being designed to hold the check'in position 'so as to permit itto be readily inserted orreinoved and to obviate the possibility bf the check being lost and the dispute arising as to the one who is entitled to the benefit of the load, as well as obviating parts which project an'd'are likely to hinder'the coupling together or uncoupling-of the'cars or catching the clothing of the driver'orinj uri'ng the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a'check holder which is comparatively simple in construction-and therefore can be very, economically produced from sheet metal and readily applied to the front portion of cars as in ordinary .use in mines.

lVith the above andother obj ects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides -in the combination and arrangement of'parts; and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimedfit being. understood that within'the'scope of what is claimed, changes 1n the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In theaccompanyingv drawings:

Figure '1 is a front' elevation of my. improved check holder with a check mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and I Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a modified form of check holder.

In mines at the present -time,"it is the usual custom to employ checks hav'ingnumber's thereon to identify the particular miner who loads'a car and who is entitled to credit forv the same,-when the car reaches thetipple to be dumped. On nearly. all ca'rs in mines a big-spike or nail is driven--from the inside ofthe car to the; outside at'th'e front and then bent into a hook in order'to receive the check thereon. This howeveris rather dangerous as the man or boy who drives the mule'whlch' pulls the coal car'has no place to ride on except'by standing son a short drag chain about three and a"half feet long, termed a tailchain. The driver rides on thischain by;placinghistwo-feet on the chain and his backagainst the car and since the only way of stopping the car isby jumping off the chain-and to the ground and bracing hisbody' against the front of the car, the spikeor nail or check hook is always in the way and the driver is apt to get pronged or injured*in-thepback, in addition to the fact-that the checkis often caused to be displaced-orslipped off, causing dispute as to whom the car-belongs, and as to who is entitled to credit for the load. At the front of thecar is adoorand it convenient for the checkpullerto ob- 'tain access to and-remove-the check-when the car is taken up into the'tipple-to be dumped, and it is desirable to mount-'the holder on the front of'the car but in order to obviate the objections to thej'spike nailaor check hook'abovespeeified, I have devised the present invention. 7

As shown in the drawings in which like reference characters designate corresponding-parts throughout the several views,'the

improved check holder-is preferably made of sheet metal or other construction having suitable stiffness and spring metal qualities so as to provide a front portionlO, the sides I of which are formed withinwardlyextended portions ll and outwardly extending flanges .12 suitably apertured as indicatedzat l3y for receiving-fastening screws or thelike by whichthe device is securedonthe-fifrontof the car at the door thereof. The fron'tEportion 10 is provided witha cut-out or recess 14 extending from its upper edge and medially of the front portiontoward the bottomthereof, so as to render visible the check 15 mounted therein. It is to be understood that these-checksare provided with various numbers and "an opening 16 "ordinarily employed for holdingthe" check on the spike nail or check hook, commonlyempartly exposed through the opening or recess 14 and the bottom edge portion of the blank from which the check holder is made, preferably of galvanized sheet metal or the like, is provided with an extension curved or bent rearwardlyand upwardly as indicated to form a spring tongue or prong 17 which is tapered toward its upper end, said upper end being forwardly disposed to normally project through the opening or recess 14 when the check is removed, and projecting above the top edge of holder at the front portion thereof and curved rearwardly to form a finger piece 18, facilitating the release of the check. This tongue or prong be ing pressed forwardly resiliently, tends to hold the check in position by frictionally holding the same against the rear faces of the front wall of the holder.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the construction is the same, except in lieu of the spring tongue or prong 17, which is bent from the intermediate portion of the blank and the front portion thereof rearwardly and upwardly curved toward the same and in spaced relation to the lower portion of said front portion of the holder, said lower edge is provided with rearwardly and upwardly bent strips 19, forming a prong or tongue at either side of the recess in the front portion of the holder and projecting over the recess at the sides of the latter as shown. Each of the prongs or tongues in the form shown in Figs, 1 to 4 inclusive as well as shown in Fig. 5, are curved or bent out rearwardly after being turned rearwardly and upwardly and then curved forwardly toward the top portion or edge of the holder,the upper extremities extending above the edge of the front portion and turned rearwardly to facilitate application of the check guided from the same into the holder and between the prong and front portion, as shown and described. Thus, it will be seen that the front portion of the check is relatively stiff, and serves to protect the gripping portion or prong as well as to prevent displacement of the check from within the same. The device is relatively flat, and is made of relatively stiff material. WVith the proper spring action the check will be efficiently held in position and will not become displaced by reason of the driver or checker placing his back against the front of car in juxtaposition to or over the holder. Furthermore, the possibility of injury to the driver is prevented, as compared with the spike nail or check hook as at present in use. As each loader has a particular number for his cheeks, it is important that the checks should not become lost or displaced, in or der to avoid disputes and with the present invention, the identification as to whom the credit for the coal is to be given, is insured. The device does not project sufficiently to interfere with the coupling or uncoupling of the cars, and therefore is not-likely to catch in ones clothing or in projecting objects or injury or damage, or possible displacement of the checks. Each holder is made ofa single piece of sheet metal or the like, thereby permitting it to be very economically produced and readily applied.

I am aware of the Patent Number 1,101,426, but claim an improvement in the construction of the present device thereover, in view of the fact thatas a single body employed, an automatic lock is obviated. Also, since it is only possible to stop a car when in motion, and also when the car has been landed on the shaft bottom, by placing ones back against the front of the car, unlocking of the device shown in this patent would result. Furthermore, since that is the only method that can be employed by the driver in the mine to stop the car, including the stopping thereof when landed on the shaft bottom so as to be put on the cage or elevator one at a time and hoisted to the top where they are weighed and dumped, the attendant will be also protected from injury in pushing the car onto the cage or elevator unless the car runs very free and since the device is relatively flat and obviates the necessity of providing a nail or hook as heretofore done, injury to the driver, checker or attendant at the elevator will be obviated. It is also possible to employ sufiiciently large numbers to accomodate three figures so as to permit the same to be readily seen in and out of the mine.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A holder for mine car checks comprising a blank section of sheet metal bent at rightangles at the sides thereof to form a relatively shallow casing having oppositely extending flanges for mounting the device on front of the car, the front portion being provided with a recess communicating with its upper edge and the bottom portion being formed with an integral extension bent rearwardly and upwardly to form a gripping tongue cooperating with the front portion to hold a check therein.

2. A check holder of the class described comprising a section of spring metal in the form of a. blank having a front portion formed with a recess medially of its ends, the front portion being bent rearwardly at right angles to form sides, said sides being relatively shallow and having outwardly extending apertured flanges, the bottom edge of the front portion being formed intermediately with a tapered tongue curved rearwardly and upwardly, the upper portion of the tongue being curved forwardly below In testimony that I claim the foregoing the top edge of the front portion and then as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signarearwardly and tending to spring normally ture in the presence of two Witnesses. toward said front portion to retain a check JOHN T. OLIVE. therein, the bottom portion of the tongue Witnesses: serving to prevent displacement of the 'A. E. THOMAS, check. I LOUIS F. ALBRECHT. 

